Friendship Amongst the Flames
by redweave
Summary: Arthur finds out about Merlin's secret. But is that really the end of the story? The real challenges have only just begun. No slash just friendship. Post season 3
1. Prologue

Prologue

Arthur looked at the pyre in the courtyard and knew his next decision would change everything. He took a deep breath and strode into the crowd. No point in waiting. His choice was made.

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><p>This is my first story ever, fanfic or not, so please be kind. I would greatly appreciate any form of advice, even suggestions for plot if someone has any. I don't have a beta, but hopefully it'll all work out well.<p>

Thanks!

redweave


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Over the past month, Arthur's world had radically changed. The foundations of every belief he'd ever held had been shaken.

It had seemed like a normal day. Just a brief hunting trip in a nearby forest, it was not anything out of the ordinary for the prince and his manservant. The quiet normality was shattered when a swarm of serkets surrounded them. The horses panicked and both managed to throw off their riders and run, only to be cut down by the scorpions' claws. For Arthur, it seemed hopeless. Between him and Merlin, there was only a sword and a crossbow. Merlin was useless with both, so the fighting would be left to Arthur and while he knew he was an excellent fighter, he also knew he couldn't defeat a dozen massive scorpions by himself.

It was as that hopelessness descended that Arthur's world changed. Merlin sighed behind him and haltingly whispered, "I'm sorry, Arthur. Please don't hate me for this."

Before Arthur could figure out what Merlin meant, fire enveloped some of the closest serkets. He turned to Merlin and was shocked to see his hands raised and eyes gleaming gold, filled with a calm confidence. The stunned prince did nothing as the warlock continued his attack on the serkets. Earth and wind joined the flames in crushing the scorpions stupid enough to remain.

Finally, all was quiet. Merlin was facing away from Arthur, shoulders tense and rigid as if waiting for a harsh blow. Staring as if he could not comprehend what he had just seen Arthur did nothing. They stood in this deadlock for what seemed to be hours before Arthur came to himself and asked a simple question that was loaded with a myriad of complex problems.

"You have magic?"

Merlin slowly turned around and replied with a resigned tone, "Yes."

These four words sparked a conversation that lasted for hours. At first, it was just Arthur yelling about how stupid Merlin was and demanding to know why Merlin had started to learn sorcery, why he had betrayed Camelot and Arthur, and how long he had been lying. Surprisingly, it was the last question that seemed to trouble the prince the most. After Arthur stopped to gain his breath, Merlin began to answer all his questions in a quiet, shaky voice. He spoke of how he had been born with magic, how he had never chosen, and how he would _never_ use his magic to harm Arthur and Camelot.

At first, Arthur did not believe him. What Merlin was telling him went against everything he'd ever been taught. But slowly, pieces of the puzzle came together as forgotten memories resurfaced. Numerous times Arthur had seen Merlin come out of a fight without a scratch, and had woken up from unconsciousness to find Merlin's smile and a completely fixed problem. Arthur had begun to wonder just how many times Merlin had used magic to help him. This train of thought led to a continuation of the conversation, except now it was Merlin recounting the last few years of his life for Arthur to hear.

In the end, Arthur went off by himself to think. Everything he had just learnt was swirling in his head like a hurricane, but it really came down to a battle of two known facts: that magic was evil and that Merlin was not. As Arthur debated with himself, Merlin just sat still as a stone with a mixture of fear and hope in his eyes.

The sun was setting when Arthur finally stood up and approached Merlin. He looked his servant in the eyes, his face showing no emotion through the princely façade. Just when Merlin thought he was going to die from waiting, Arthur began to speak.

"Merlin, I have believed all my life that those who practice sorcery were evil, no exceptions. But I know that you aren't, in any way, evil, even though you are most definitely magic. I cannot completely understand how the two concepts can work together, but I am willing to take a leap of faith and trust you. Prove to me that you can use your powers for good, and I'll rethink my position on magic. But if you lie to me ever again, I'll be forced to acknowledge that my father has been right all along."

Merlin simply nodded, eyes brimming with emotion. Arthur's words gave him hope that one day Arthur would see magic, and him, for what it truly was.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Several nights later, Arthur called a secret meeting for the knights of the Round Table. Leon, Gwaine, Lancelot, Elyan, and Percival all sat around chatting and joking when Arthur entered the room with a nervous Merlin behind him.

"Tonight, I am going to tell you something that must be kept secret at all costs. Before I tell you, you must swear to tell no one outside this room." Arthur's words and tone immediately silenced the knights. Gwaine and Lancelot both shot glances at the silent Merlin before returning to the prince. Sensing that Arthur was not in a mood to be trifled with, each man gave his promise.

Arthur steeled himself for what was to come. He knew he had to tell his men because they were his most trusted knights, friends that had stood with him during Camelot's darkest hour. He could not betray that loyalty with such falsehood. Plus, he knew that they considered Merlin a friend and would be likely keep his secret.

"Merlin has magic." The words rang through the air to meet silence. The expressions of the five men varied, ranging from shock to disbelief to unconcerned calm. Arthur turned his gaze toward Lancelot. "I'm told that you already know this fact."

"Yes, Sire." Lancelot replied guardedly.

"So I take it that you accept it and feel that it is not a problem?"

"I have no problem with Merlin's powers. I know for a fact that they have saved the lives of everyone in this room at least once. I do not believe that Merlin has it in him to use his magic for harm." Merlin gave a grateful smile to his friend as Arthur turned to the next knight.

"What about you Gwaine? What is your opinion?"

Gwaine gave a nonchalant shrug. "I don't see a problem at all. In fact, I thought everyone, or at least you Princess, already knew."

"Why is that?" Arthur asked with a vaguely confused expression on his face.

"For one thing, in battle Merlin always seems to be near weird or unusually lucky occurrences. When I first met him, plates were flying around to hit the stupid pigs tearing up the tavern. Secondly, the wee bridge keeper in the Perilous Lands said all that talk about Courage, Strength, and Magic and he obviously meant us three. Surely if he said it to us he said it to you."

"He did, but I didn't understand him. That is quite obvious in hindsight." Gwaine's views being dealt with, Arthur turned to Percival.

"I've never dealt with magic before, but I trust what I've seen and that's that Merlin is loyal to the bone to you, Arthur. I also know that Lancelot here trusts him completely, so I'll do the same." Arthur nodded, turning to Elyan.

"I say the same. Merlin helped rescue me and has fought alongside us many times. He is one of us." Merlin beamed at the statement as Arthur turned to face the last, and probably the most difficult, knight at the table.

Leon was silent at first, clearly composing his thoughts. When he finally spoke, it was with clear sureness. "Sire, I have seen firsthand the ill use of magic in Camelot. I have also seen the tragedy that has befallen so many innocents in result. While I am uncertain of the goodness of magic, I am certain that I trust your judgment. You have placed your faith in Merlin and so I will do the same."

Arthur sighed with relief. All five knights still supported Merlin. Not one had turned against them in face of the great secret. "Thank you all for your loyalty."

"Don't thank us just yet, Princess. In regards to myself at least, I'm keeping the secret for my good friend Merlin. I would have stood by him, even if you had chosen not to." Gwaine looked intently at Arthur, as if daring him to get angry. Lancelot's eyes showed that he agreed with Gwaine, but was too polite to say it so bluntly. Merlin chuckled at his friend's comment, inwardly smiling at the loyalty of the two knights.

Arthur merely replied, "I have no doubt about that Gwaine. Well, that's enough for tonight. See you all at training in the morning." Several groans sounded, causing Arthur to roll his eyes as he left, a smiling Merlin in tow.

He would rest better tonight knowing he still had his most trusted knights at his side.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After the meeting of the knights, Merlin had told Gwen about his secret. He felt that she would eventually find out anyway and wanted to tell her himself. She was shocked, of course, but in the end her friendship with Merlin beat down the distrust of magic. She was hurt that Merlin had not trusted her, but understood his reasons all the same.

Nobody was surprised to learn that Gaius already knew. Most of them already believed that the man was magic himself, so it was almost expected for him to be involved.

In the weeks that followed the reveal, Arthur noticed a change in his friend. Merlin seemed happier, if that was possible. His already optimistic, good-natured personality was in full force, free from the burden of the secrets and lies Merlin had been forced to keep. Arthur suddenly realized what a burden Merlin had been forced to bear and that he'd had to do it alone. Feeling sorry that it had taken him so long to ease that burden and for doubting Merlin, Arthur vowed that Merlin would never bear the weight alone again.

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><p>The easy peacefulness of those weeks was shattered by the appearance of some uninvited guests at a feast held to celebrate the anniversary of Morgana's defeat.<p> 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The feast was extravagant. Decorations covered the hall as guests laughed and ate at the great tables below. Even Uther was there, having become stable enough to sit among the crowd and participate in the festivities.

Suddenly, violent winds blasted open the main doors, blowing out most of the torches. Footsteps echoing in the sudden silence, the witch sisters walked in the Great Hall.

"Well, well. It appears that a party is being thrown in our honor. I wonder why we weren't invited, sister." Morgana said, her trademark smirk decorating her porcelain face.

Immediately the king and prince were shouting orders, guards running towards the two women. Morgause simply waved a hand and whispered a chant. The guards were thrown up against the wall and slipped to the floor unconscious.

"How rude of them to attack their own guests. It appears hospitality is another lesson we should teach the Pendragon men. They might need it in the afterlife," Morgana laughed as she and her sister raised their hands toward the High Table. A ball of fire reaching halfway to the ceiling appeared, flames whipping through the air. As it sped toward Arthur and Uther, Merlin knew that he couldn't stop it from his position so he leapt in front of Arthur, raising his hands and shouting out a spell to summon a shield. He strained against the force, but was finally able to push it back enough to safely dispel the fire ball. As he lowered his arms, panting, Merlin felt the weight of dozens of shocked stares. Uther's was reddening with fury. The faces of Arthur, Gaius and the knights were the only ones free from shock. Their faces were a spectrum of worry for their warlock friend. The sisters both looked surprised, but began to grin maliciously.

"So you have magic, you wretched boy. That explains a great deal. But no matter, it seems Uther will be doing our work for us. And when you burn, who will stand between us and our goal?" Laughter rang through air as the sisters became wrapped in winds and vanished, leaving chaos in their wake.

"SEIZE HIM!" Uther bellowed, rousing the guards from unconsciousness. They rushed to grab the unresisting warlock, who merely turned to look at his prince. Arthur immediately came to his friend's defense.

"Father, you can't do this! Merlin has just saved our lives. We cannot execute him for that. He used magic to help us!" Arthur yelled, the voices of some of the knights echoing his thoughts behind him.

Uther turned his furious gaze upon his son. "That boy is a _sorcerer_! He is nothing but evil, regardless of what he does. He will be executed at dawn. And it shall be the pyre, for he will receive no mercy from me!" Turning to some of the remaining guards, Uther ordered, "Take me son to his chambers and ensure he does not leave."

Arthur was dragged from the Great Hall, shouting at his father to understand and begging him to spare Merlin. But Uther's heart was hardened so much that he was deaf to his son's pleas. In the hallway, Arthur eye's caught with Merlin's for a brief moment. In that second, Arthur could see a storm of emotions in his friend's eyes. He saw worry and fear, but could also see an acceptance that Arthur could not fathom. Soon the moment was lost and the two were dragged in separate directions: one upward to the royal wing and the other downward into the dungeons.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Arthur railed his gilded cage that night, shouting for release. After hours without response, the prince forced himself to calm down. He would be no good to Merlin if he couldn't come up with a plan. If the guards outside his door were suspicious of the sudden silence, they did not act upon it. Arthur sat at his desk, poring over every possible option in his head. Finally, he decided to go with one of oldest tricks in the book. Now wasn't the time to worry about being cliché.

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><p>Arthur opened his window to the courtyard, searching for anyone who might see him. Luckily, it was both early and late enough that no one was in sight. The prince threw his rope of sheets out the window. While he often overlooked the lushness of his room, Arthur was now thankful that he had such an opulent bed. His room was quite high he had needed every sheet for the rope to make it to the ground. Taking a breath, Arthur climbed out of his window and into the outside air.<p>

Arthur carefully climbed down the wall, eyes peeled for anyone who might see him. Once his feet touched the ground, Arthur slipped into the shadows and searched for a hiding place. He knew his father would have Merlin heavily guarded and any attempt to break Merlin out would be thwarted. His only option was to hide and wait for Merlin to be brought outside. Only then could the prince make his move.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The crowd pulsed with anticipation for the execution. For once, the fear outweighed the exited bloodlust. Many knew the condemned man and were shocked and dismayed at his crime.

As Arthur stepped out of the shadows and climbed onto the pyre, shocked gasps filled the courtyard. Uther's roars rang out through the din, calling the guards to action. Before they could reach the prince, five figures leapt out from the crowd. Swords raised, the Knights of the Round Table surrounded the pyre. Arthur cut the bonds holding Merlin to the stake, while the warlock looked at him with absolute shock.

"Why are you doing this? Your father will be furious! Who knows what he'll do to punish you for this?"

Arthur replied, "You must be the most self sacrificing idiot I've ever met. Just because you seem so determined to die doesn't mean I'm going to let you. I'd have to get a new servant them. The shock of a clean room after the years of your neglect just might kill me."

Merlin gave a strained laugh, the stress of the situation still wreaking havoc on his nerves. "Well, we can't have that, can we? I've put too much effort into curbing your inner prat to let all my hard work be ruined by a clean floor."

The friends' banter was cut short as Uther's commands grew in volume and the guards renewed their attempt to control the rebellious knights. With a surprising calmness, Arthur turned to face his father.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Arthur's fear and nervousness were banished by the peaceful calm of knowing that what he was doing was right. He raised a hand, and miraculously the crowd quieted. His voice rang out clear through the air as he addressed the king.

"I cannot allow you to do this Father."

Uther's face reddened with fury. "You forget your place Arthur. You do not get to _allow_ me to do anything. No son of mine would stand against me to side with a sorcerer and presume to command me. You must be enchanted. There is no other rational explanation for this ridiculous behavior. Get away from that wretched sorcerer now!"

"I am not enchanted, Father. My eyes have simply been opened to the truth. Merlin has served me and Camelot with unflinching loyalty for years. He has risked his life time and time again, even though he was just a servant. He was loyal not because he had to be or because he swore an oath to the kingdom. He was loyal because he chose to be. He was condemned for the act of defending Camelot against an enemy that our forces would have had no hopes of defeating alone. Yes, Merlin has magic, but he is not evil. He has committed no crime except of being born a certain way. And if a good man must die for serving Camelot, then you must burn me at his side. My most loyal friend deserves nothing less."

Arthur retreated to stand side by side with Merlin, who was in awe of Arthur's speech. The two had been close for years, but rarely had Arthur admitted aloud that he viewed their relationship as a friendship and never had he done it so passionately and in front of such a crowd.

"The same goes for us!" Gwaine shouted as he leapt up to join Arthur and Merlin. The other knights followed.

"Sir Leon, what is the meaning of this? Surely the sorcerer has not bewitched you as well?" Uther demanded as the First Knight took his place. The rabble his son liked to call knights he could understand taking part in this fiasco, but his mind could not comprehend that his most trusted knight was standing against him.

"Sire, over the years I have gotten to know Merlin. I have watched as he stood by Prince Arthur with a determination unparalleled in any other. The boy has drunk poison, raided castles, fought enemy knights and bandits. He even rode against a dragon. If he meant to do the prince or Camelot harm, why would he work so hard to protect them? I have seen no evil in him, and so I will stand with Prince Arthur to protect him."

Merlin's shocked deepened further. He had no idea that Sir Leon had thought so highly of him.

Uther stood upon his balcony, fuming. Arthur's actions and those of his knights had pushed Uther into a corner he could not escape. But as he looked down upon the pyre, the small part of Uther's mind that still listened to reason began to make its voice heard.

Even Uther had seen the loyalty his son's servant had shown toward Arthur. Time and time again the boy had put himself in harm's way for Arthur. He had even saved Uther on occasion. But servants were supposed to do that for royalty. What reason was there for Arthur's behavior? Why would he care enough about the boy to willingly burn for him?


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Anticipation held everyone in the courtyard in a chokehold and silence reigned as the king came to his decision. Yet even as his emotions swirled about his head, Uther's face never shifted to show them. Finally, he moved to speak.

"Arthur, does this man have your trust?"

Though shocked at his father's question, Arthur's response was without hesitation. "I trust him completely, Father."

"Then he shall be spared." A sigh of relief was released by most of the crowd. "However, he will be closely monitored for a probationary period. If he commits any crime, magical or not, during this time he will be executed immediately and there will be consequences for everyone who has stood in support of him today. If he can survive the probation period, then perhaps we will rethink the severity of the bans on magic."

No one moved throughout the courtyard. Uther's verdict stunned everyone; not least of all were his son and the warlock. Not only had he spared a known sorcerer, but he had been open to changing the laws he had upheld for over twenty years. Once the shock wore off, however, a myriad of sounds rang through the air. Camelot's citizens put forth a mix of cheers and protests, but were mostly happy that the terror was potentially at the end. In the corner of the courtyard, an old man watched, visibly relieved, as the knights of the Round Table leapt up to congratulate Arthur and Merlin, the latter of which was still unmoving.

Merlin finally turned to Arthur, eyes glazed over with surprise and tears. In a quiet whisper he asked, "I'm free?"

Arthur smiled and wrapped his arm around his friend and replied, "Yes, Merlin. You are free. And now that we can stand side by side, who knows what the future will hold?"

Merlin grinned. "Knowing you, a whole lot of trouble that I'll have to save you from."

Arthur gave his faux shocked reply and their banter was lost amongst the celebration.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

As King Arthur announced his final reform of Uther's magic bans, Merlin watched from his side brimming with pride for his friend and joy for their joint accomplishments. In the years since Merlin's almost execution, much had changed in Camelot because of them.

Merlin probationary period had passed smoothly, even with the tense emotions filling people at the time. It had even ended early, when Merlin visibly used his magic to save Arthur at a tournament. Every enemy of Camelot seemed to think that tournaments were the best time to strike and this foe was no exception. Ironically, it wasn't a sorcerer who attacked Arthur, but a low ranking noble cousin who wanted claim the throne for himself by getting rid of the relatives before him in the line of succession. Afterwards, Uther had nearly given Merlin a heart attack when he congratulated him on his actions.

Uther's reforms on the magic bans were small, changing them so that a select few who were handpicked by Uther could practice magic. In the end, it was just Merlin and Gaius who benefited from this.

It was several years later, when Uther died and Arthur took his place on the throne, that the real changes began. Knowing he could just get rid of the bans entirely, Arthur worked gradually. Merlin was promoted to his Chief Advisor and Court Warlock, giving magic wielders a voice in court. He had meetings with his nobles and with monarchs of other kingdoms to help warm them up to his new stance on magic and announced just one reform a year.

Now, though, magic was fully returned to Camelot and it was clear that the kingdom was benefitting from it. Trade boomed, health increased and allies flocked to Camelot's side. It was the beginning of the kingdom Merlin had envisioned for years. It was a legendary kingdom for a legendary king.


End file.
